FRESH3 LIKE STRAWBERRIES: A Mother’s Journey
An interview with director David Au
by Justin Lin
David Au received his BA from University of Wisconsin-Madison in Theater & Drama and Journalism, worked in the corporate world for two years in Chicago, and just recently finished filmmaking studies at the Los Angeles Film School. Having moved millions of times for the past few years, David Au is ready to give it a go in the “City of Angels,” where extreme happiness and despair co-exist in harmony.
What was your motivation to make this movie?
I have always been interested in writing personal stories, whether it's from my own experiences or from someone else I know. This particular story was inspired by my mother, who is an incredible woman withenormous amount of patience and strength. She and I live in two different cities, so we are on the phonea lot, telling each other the goings on in our lives. Some of the stories she told are just unbelievable. Icouldn't help myself from making one into a movie. Ooops. Sorry mom.
How does this relate to your experience in an Asian-American family?
I'm originally from Hong Kong, but I have lived in the states for 8 years now. So it's been an interesting journey to try to find out where I stand between two completely different cultures. My parents are still back home, and as I live here longer, I take on quite a few American traits that make me who I am. I put this story in an Asian-American family context so the American public can relate more to these characters, that people do bottle up their feelings a lot of times. This is very close to all of us.
Why did you decide to address homosexuality in the Asian-American context?
Again, since this is a personal story, I just simply wrote down what I know best. It's not much of a decision. I hope people can connect with these characters because of what they experience and feel, not just their ethnicity or sexuality. The interesting part about human races is that we all can relate to each other in one way or the other, discard our differences. At least, that's my hope.
What was the importance of strawberries in your movie?
It's something sweet and inviting, yet precious and unique. I don't want to give away too much, but it's basically a metaphor to what we all are really looking for in life.
